The Reality of Living
by stephfarrow94
Summary: After using the possibility of no more baseball as an excuse to try and kill himself, Yamamoto soon finds himself filling the void in his heart caused by loneliness with what he never had; friends. However, just because he has Tsuna and Gokudera now doesn't mean everything will be okay - especially when his romantic feelings aren't returned by the one he loves most. 8059 , yaoi
1. Chapter 1

**A/N It's alternate universe, as in there is no mafia, but the other characters such as Mukuro and Varia, etc, will still make appearances. Also, taking votes - 8027 or 8059? Or both? **

As Takeshi Yamamoto stood on the edge of the school roof, he couldn't help but feel his chest tear in emotional agony. The truth is, it wasn't the fact he might never be able to play baseball again due to his broken arm, but that he had no friends to support him during this hard time.

Yamamoto had always been a loner, trying to replace the emptiness in his heart with the baseball he loved so much. Maybe it had worked – maybe it _hadn't. _All he knew was the suicidal thoughts he had lived with for years had diminished the harder he worked to improve in his favourite game. But now? What did he have left? A useless arm that may hinder his ability to play in future. There was nothing other than that in his life.

Did the raven-haired boy truly want to die? He wasn't sure, but he was certain that if he _were _to die, no one would care – no one had been bothered in the slightest by the fact his arm was broken, so what was a little more damage? They probably wouldn't even notice, unlike the ones standing on the ground below him, staring up as he inched ever closer to the edge. No one cared. No one was telling him not to jump, that his life had meaning, that people _cared - _it wasn't like it was in the movies. This was real life – the cruellest of all realities. Not a fictional world where people were nice enough to try and save a life, one as pitiful as his.

The fourteen-year-old could literally _feel _the way his heart crumpled like a piece of scrunched up paper. It hurt – it hurt so _fucking much. _All he wanted was for the loneliness to end – the thoughts that he just wasn't good enough to succeed in this life of popularity. He knew the girls liked him, but he knew, in his heart, it was just for his good looks. How could they ever love someone emotionally like _him? _People only ever used him – that was all he was good for.

Closing his eyes as he braced himself for the last step before he would plummet to the ground, Yamamoto whispered a silent thanks to the father who had raised him since his mother had left all those years ago. His father had been the only one to stay with him, unlike everyone else.

"Y-yamamoto!"

Onyx eyes blinked before the aforementioned boy turned around. He came face-to-face with the brunet boy in his class he knew as Tsunayoshi Sawada, probably the most unpopular person in the entire school. The brunet was clumsy and not smart enough for people to call him anything other than 'Loser-Tsuna'.

So why had this boy came all the way up here to shout his name? Tsunayoshi was a nice person, so surely it couldn't be to egg him on, right...? Or was this just wishful thinking?

"Yamamoto, please..."

Yamamoto could hear the panic in his classmate's voice – but why was it there? Surely it couldn't have been worry over his _life...? _

"Tsuna…?" Yamamoto's frown deepened as he noticed the way the smaller boy panted as if he had ran a mile to get here in time. "…Tsuna, what are…?"

Those brown eyes that were usually so timid suddenly narrowed as if he was angry – but why would he be angry at Yamamoto's actions? They weren't close, they had barely held conversations together, and there was just _no way _their interactions together could be enough for Tsuna to consider them _friends. _

"You can't do this, Yamamoto!" Tsuna whimpered. He had his hands out as if he were trying to reach out to the taller boy.

Yamamoto just sighed, his voice monotone as he spoke. "For someone that's called No-Good Tsuna all that time, you can understand the feeling of preferring to die over being alone, right?"

"…You and I are so different…" Tsuna whispered, his eyes soft.

Yamamoto glared, feeling anger boiling up inside of him. "How arrogant of the recently-awesome Tsuna-sama. So you're a fine student now as opposed to me."

Tsuna gasped, his eyes wide. His voice was full of desperation. "N-no! That's wrong! It's because I'm no good! Unlike you, I've never put effort into one single thing… Saying you're so frustrated that you want to die… Unlike you, I've never had those kinds of intense thoughts. In fact, I'm a pathetic person who would have regrets when dying… thinking if I'm going to die then I should've done it with dying will - thinking it's a waste to die from something like this… So, I can't understand your feelings… Sorry…"

Yamamoto watched the boy, not knowing what to say – what _could _he say? That he was pathetic for knowing what it's like to want to kill yourself…? Well, good for you for never having had these thoughts, right…? Not everyone can be as happy as _you, _Tsuna.

"Am I wrong in guessing you don't really want to kill yourself over baseball, Yamamoto…?" Addressed male blinked at these words. How did he…? "I've seen you… You're always… so alone… You're never with anyone, and the only time you have a smile is when you're playing baseball… You're lonely, aren't you…? Isn't it… lonely being by yourself like that…?"

Yamamoto frowned as he looked down at the waiting concrete ground. Tsuna spoke the truth, but… how could he read him so openly…?

"I was lonely once, too…" Tsuna smiled sadly, as if admitting that hurt him. "But I have a friend now, and if you'd give us the chance, we'd be _your _friends, too…"

Yamamoto looked back at Tsuna, searching for a hint of a lie. However, this was _Tsuna _– there was _no way _the brunet would make something like that up…

Closing his eyes, Yamamoto nodded. "…Okay…"

Crawling up the fence he had crossed just earlier, Yamamoto dropped his feet onto the secure ground of the roof. He smiled softly at Tsuna, his heart still aching but hoping the void he had felt would soon disappear.

"Want to eat lunch together, Yamamoto?" Tsuna smiled.

Yamamoto couldn't help but grin widely at this invitation – it would be the first time he had ever eaten lunch with someone other than his father. "Sure."


	2. Chapter 2

**This will be 8059.**

Yamamoto was happy to be Tsuna's friend; the smaller boy was sweet, accepted him for who he was, and didn't mind when the black-haired teen wanted to talk about baseball. A part of him wondered if this was what it was like to be able to call someone your best friend.

Hayato Gokudera on the other hand… It was obvious the silver-haired male didn't like Yamamoto – especially where Tsuna was involved. The teenager was aggressive and shoved the taller male around, always spouting hurtful words and names towards him.

Yamamoto tolerated it to an extent; while keeping a smile on his face, he calmly tried to diffuse the situation, hiding the fact that, inside, his heart was hurting – having finally made a friend to call his own, Yamamoto didn't want to lose Tsuna to overprotective boy who may as well have been born a dog.

The baseballer wasn't sure if he wanted to say anything about Gokudera's behaviour to anyone, not wanting to make things worse between them – while he was happy to put everything behind him and start anew, the silver-haired boy just didn't seem the kind of person who would accept his friendship.

Gokudera was a loner by nature and the only person he held an emotional bond with was Tsuna, the boy who had brought him out of his angry shell and taught him how to trust again.

Currently, Tsuna and Yamamoto were sitting in Sawada's bedroom, homework spread out before them as they tried to work together on the questions. There was comfortable silence between them, both lost in their own thoughts.

"I wonder why Gokudera-kun didn't come over?" Tsuna wondered aloud as he chewed on the end of his pencil.

_Probably because I'm here… _Yamamoto thought sadly. Trying to hide his dismay, he smiled brightly. "He might just have other business to attend to, Tsuna."

Tsuna smiled back. "Ah, that's true." Tsuna turned back to his homework, humming softly as he thought about the maths question on his sheet. He had wanted to bring something up to Yamamoto for a while now but he hadn't had an opportunity with Gokudera always hanging around them. "Hey, Yamamoto? The way Gokudera-kun treats you is really uncalled for… I-if… you want me to say anything to him…"

Yamamoto felt his heart clench painfully at these words; so Tsuna had noticed _and _wanted to help…? Not that he wasn't grateful or anything – he was over the moon! – but he didn't want any backlash to fall on the brunet.

"No, it's okay, Tsuna." Takeshi smiled, hiding how unhappy he was. "I can handle it. Maybe Gokudera just needs to get used to me."

"Yeah, I hope it's something like that." Tsuna shook his head, knowing this was a topic neither of them wanted to discuss. Instead, he slid his sheet of math questions over to the taller boy, pointing at one with his pencil. "How do we do this?"

Yamamoto, relieved with the change of topic, took the paper. He looked at it intensely before he shook his head, no idea on how to do it. "Sorry, Tsuna."

Tsuna smiled. "That's okay. Let's skip it for now."

Yamamoto hummed in agreement, his happy mood increasing; spending time with friends sure was fun, even if there was homework involved.

_**~~Lunchtime~~**_

Yamamoto had returned to his home for lunch as Tsuna and his family – if it could even be called that with the amount of leeches staying there – had gone out for lunch.

Tsuyoshi, the boy's father, had already prepared a whole meal of sushi and was waiting patiently at the table. He frowned when his son sat down with a sigh.

"What's bothering you, son?" Tsuyoshi asked. "That boy still giving you trouble."

Yamamoto nodded sadly. "Yeah… I just don't get why he doesn't like me. I'm trying so hard to be nice and put up with what he's doing, but… It hurts…"

"I see." Tsuyoshi nodded his head in understanding. "Sounds like he's someone you really want in your life. Are you sure he's good for you?"

"…" Yamamoto chewed his lip as he thought about that question. "…Well… I think we could be good friends if he'd give me the chance…"

Tsuyoshi leant over and put his hand on Yamamoto's shoulder. "Takeshi, do you have more feelings than just friendly for him?"

Yamamoto was someone who had long ago come to terms with the fact that he was gay, and his father was fully supportive of it. He was glad Tsuyoshi hadn't hesitated in accepting him – he needed the help when it came to his romantic interests.

"…I'm not sure, dad." Yamamoto whispered. "…I never thought about it that way."

"If you can put up with his rude behaviour and so desperately want to be his friend, maybe you _should _think about it," Tsuyoshi advised. "You don't have to make your mind up right away and it may even be nothing more than friendliness. But there is something there that you can't deny. It sounds like he's special to you, even if he doesn't realise that."

"Hmm…" Yamamoto picked up his chopsticks and poked at his sushi as he thought about his father's words. "…Maybe I should try harder to be nice to him? I don't think he trusts me."

"You should do whatever you feel you should do," Tsuyoshi said softly, "and if that's how you feel, then you should at least give it a try and see how it works out."

Yamamoto smiled before taking a bite out of his food. "Thanks, dad. If I see him at school tomorrow I'll try harder."

"No problem, Takeshi. Now eat up; I'll ask you to help me clean the sushi restaurant after we've eaten."

"Ah. Sure thing."

If there was one thing Yamamoto had ever been thankful for in his life, it was his loving dad. He didn't know where he'd be without the man there to help him out and keep him on the right path.


	3. Chapter 3

When the weekend rolled by, Tsuna suggested he and his two friends go see a movie. Gokudera, as expected, had been overjoyed about spending more time with the brunet but, even in front of Yamamoto, had said they should "ditch the baseball-idiot".

As much as those words hurt him, Yamamoto had kept a smile on his face. He didn't speak – he didn't have time to say anything because Tsuna had already started reprimanding Gokudera for what he had said.

"Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto is our friend," Tsuna started. "I can't invite one and not the other because that isn't fair!"

Gokudera hung his head, knowing he had upset his beloved Tsuna. "Sorry, Tenth…" While he didn't regret what he had said about Yamamoto, he did feel bad about having upset his best friend.

Gokudera didn't like Yamamoto. Anyone with a brain could work that out. However, if openly showing his dislike would hurt Tsuna, maybe he should pretend Yamamoto just didn't exist? Would that upset Tsuna? Only one way to find out.

"Eh, Tsuna, it's okay." Yamamoto forced a smile to his face, no matter how okay it _wasn't. _"Let's just go see the movie, okay? No need to fight."

Tsuna smiled shyly before he nodded, glad that his dark-haired friend was so easy-going and cheerful. "What do you guys want to see?"

"Something with action!" Gokudera declared as he raised a fist in the air.

Tsuna smiled at the silver-haired boy's eagerness before he turned to Yamamoto. "What about you?"

"Anything is fine with me, Tsuna." This time the boy's smile was genuine. "Whatever you guys want to watch."

"I guess we'll decide when we get there, then." Tsuna started walking, humming a soft tune. This was a great way to spend the weekend.

_**~~Movie theatre~~**_

As wished for, Gokudera had gotten his action movie. Though neither Yamamoto nor Tsuna had particularly enjoyed it, it had been bearable.

Gokudera and Yamamoto were standing out in the lobby as they waited for Tsuna who was using the bathroom. The silver-haired teenager had made it a point to stare anywhere but Yamamoto, and the raven was _hurting. _

"Hey… Gokudera…" Yamamoto hated how weak his voice was sounding but he couldn't stop it – not when it felt as if his heart was tearing. "…D-did I do anything to make you hate me…?"

Gokudera didn't even blink. It was as if in the space of two hours he had learnt how to believe Yamamoto just didn't exist at all.

_I guess I did… _ Yamamoto sighed sadly, his eyes turning to fix on a piece of gum stuck to the rest carpet. _I just… I don't know what I could have done when the first time I even _spoke _to him, he still hated me… _

"Hey, Tenth!"

Yamamoto looked up when he heard Gokudera's happy voice addressing Tsuna. _Of course. He adores Tsuna. He'd never want to call someone like _me _his friend. _

"Gokudera-kun, I was – hey, Yamamoto, are you okay?"

Yamamoto looked at Tsuna, seeing the concern on the brunet's face. Had his hurt showed?

Nodding, Yamamoto forced a smile he knew proved he was lying. "I'm fine."

"You don't look it," Tsuna pointed out. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Now that you mention it, I feel tad ill," Yamamoto said. "I might just head home and get some rest. I'll see you at school."

"Hey… Yamamoto, wait…!"

The dark-haired teenager had already disappeared from sight before Tsuna could stop him. Turning to Gokudera, he frowned. "What did you say to him?"

Gokudera just shrugged. "I _didn't _say anything to him, Tenth."

Tsuna sighed as he rubbed the side of his face. What was he going to do with these two?

_**~~Yamamoto~~**_

Yamamoto fell unceremoniously onto his bed, draping his arm across his eyes. He felt as if he was going to throw up. He knew he was falling dangerously fast for someone who hated him, but he couldn't help it. He knew he was stupid for being so depressed over unrequited love, but that didn't mean he could stop feeling that way – he had _tried, _only to fail, just like how he failed at everything but baseball.

The dark-haired teenager was glad his father wasn't home because he didn't think he'd be able to stand talking about how much it hurt to be hated by someone you loved.

_Why does it feel like Tsuna is the only one who notices I exist? _Yamamoto thought. _Everyone else at school only knows I'm alive because I'm good at baseball. I bet if I never played, I'd be invisible to them as well. _

Rolling over so that he laid on his stomach, Yamamoto's eyes drooped in sadness. He wondered if he should go outside and practise his swing a bit more but he just couldn't find the motivation to get up.

_I feel so sick… Why does it always hurt…? I wish the pain would just stop… _

Yamamoto sat up as he heard his phone beep from an incoming message. He pulled it out from his pants pocket, seeing the sender was Tsuna.

_Did Gokudera-kun do something? _was Tsuna's message.

Yamamoto shook his head as he hit reply, starting to type back. _No. He wouldn't even look at me. I'm okay if that's what you're wondering. Just hanging out in bed for a bit. _

_I'm really sorry. _Yamamoto couldn't help but smile at the sad face the brunet had attached to his message.

_It's not your fault, Tsuna. I'm overreacting. _

_But you think of him as a friend so he should act like one! _Yamamoto wondered whether or not he should explain the reason behind his hurt to Tsuna. The younger boy was understanding and accepting of everyone, but he still hadn't come out to anyone but his dad yet.

Biting his lip as Yamamoto texted just two words, he felt his heart beating faster as anxiety overwhelmed him _I'm gay._

Tsuna's reply took a little bit longer to come through this time but, when it did, the dark-haired teenager sighed as he relaxed. _You like Gokudera-kun, then?_

_Please don't tell him. _Yamamoto felt much better about telling his friend the truth, and he felt as if the brunet understood and was supportive of him.

_I won't tell anyone. Hey, I have to help my mum with something. I'll talk to you later._

_Cya, Tsuna. _

For the first time that day, a genuine smile slipped onto Yamamoto's face. He briefly wondered why it hadn't been Tsuna he had fallen for before he heard the front door close, signalling his father's return.

Pushing himself off the bed, Yamamoto stood to go greet his dad, his mood improving bit by bit. He was sure it was thanks to coming out to his friend – he hadn't felt this good since he had started hiding his sexuality to everyone.

_I wonder if Gokudera is even gay… _Yamamoto quickly shook those thoughts from his head as he made his way down the stairs, a small smile on his face.

If at least for the rest of today, Takeshi Yamamoto wasn't going to let the silver-haired teenager bring him down even further.


	4. Chapter 4

Yamamoto usually enjoyed sports days where Namimori Middle would compete against other schools, but today wasn't going to be the same – not when he was staring at a blue-haired male whose arm was wrapped around the Prefect of the Namimori Middle Disciplinary Committee, Kyouya Hibari.

It was no secret that Mukuro Rokudo was gay, his main attraction said Prefect, and the fact that Rokudo could so openly be himself made Yamamoto feel lesser about himself, knowing he couldn't be the same way.

Mukuro wasn't exactly friends with Tsuna as they had gotten off on the wrong foot during their first meeting a few months ago, but the brunet had never held anything against the spiky-haired teenager, happy for him to hang around his friendship group.

Hibari, however, had also been caught up in that tussle and – being the skylark that he was – held a grudge so hateful he would go out of his way to fight the taller boy, only adding fuel to the fire when he lost once more.

The two males who had been standing behind Mukuro wandered off as they talked amongst themselves, uninterested in what was happening. Chrome Dokuro, along with the boys who left, had grown up with the blue-haired teenager, so it was only natural for her to be hiding behind her friend shyly as she surveyed Tsuna and his friends warily.

And the tiny boy who was standing by Mukuro's side holding his jacket with a tiny hand was Rokudo's foster brother, Fran. He was wearing a green Kokuyo jacket, along with the two older kids, and was looking around him with teal eyes, the same colour as his hair.

Hibari, who hated nothing more than being crowded along with restrained, savagely tried to struggle his way out of Mukuro's arms, but his anger only grew as the younger teenager held him firmly.

"Let me go, herbivore," it was a battle to keep his voice calm, but Hibari had succeeded, "or I'll bite you to death."

"Kufufufu…" Mukuro laughed happily as he released the raven-haired male, stepping back in time to avoid the tonfa that was savagely thrust at his face. "It will only turn out the way it always does. Kufufu."

Hibari left at these words, probably to go discipline – more like beat up for no apparent reason – someone with whom he could beat. Mukuro had been the only person he would lose against, and he didn't want to risk hurting his pride in such a big gathering.

"He's so scary…" Tsuna whimpered to his friends, still gathered with the Kokuyo students. "I'm so glad he left without a fight…"

"Kufufu…" Mukuro raised a hand to flick at the strand of hair that had fallen into his eyes. "Think I can tame him?"

"Not a chance," Gokudera said.

Yamamoto was silent as the conversation continued, his eyes trained onto the older teenager. He just couldn't understand how Mukuro could be so carefree about his orientation, not caring of what people might think.

The dark-haired boy was so lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't hear Tsuna talking to him.

"Oi, Yamamoto?"

Addressed male blinked before he looked down at Tsuna, smiling. "Yo?"

"Gokudera and I are going to grab some drinks for us all. Are you coming?"

Yamamoto shook his head as he sat down on the grass. "I'll stay here."

The boy found this moment to be thankful groups were always made on these days and they had managed to be put in with Mukuro and Chrome, the other two off doing their own things.

Mukuro sat down with Yamamoto, letting his foster brother crawl onto his lap and Chrome left, saying she was going to go see where Tsuna and Gokudera were. Yamamoto couldn't help but smile at how gentle the male was with the tiny kid, a vast contrast from just how dangerous he really was when provoked.

"When can I see Bel-senpai?" Fran asked as he pulled on a lock of blue hair, his teal eyes shining as he puffed his cheeks up. "He said he'd be here today."

"Patience, little one." Mukuro patted the boy's head. "I'll take you to see him soon; he's busy right now."

"Bel-senpai?" Yamamoto questioned, not recognising the name.

"He lives next door to us," Mukuro explained. "Fran likes to bother him."

Yamamoto chuckled, reaching out to ruffle green hair. He pulled back after a few seconds and it was silent between them except for Fran's fidgeting and whining for 'Bel-senpai'.

The younger teenager wondered if he could talk to Mukuro about his orientation, not knowing anyone else who was gay. Despite their fight all that time ago, he liked Mukuro as the taller teen was easy-going as long as topics that were sensitive for him were avoided.

"Can I ask you something?" Yamamoto had taken the plunge; now he could just wait and see how it all played out. Mukuro hummed, his heterochromatic eyes on the iPod he had just pulled out of his pocket to give to Fran. "…Well… I-it's just… Don't you care about what people say…?"

"Excuse me?" Mukuro looked up, confusion crossing his eyes.

"I-I mean… Don't take it the wrong way or anything, but… you're _you_ in front of everyone…"

"Are you referring to the fact that I am gay?" Mukuro sounded almost bored, as if he had said that line a thousand times. "While it is true I'm gay, I don't care for what others think."

Yamamoto rubbed the back of his neck as he smiled sheepishly. "…C-can I have some pointers…?"

"You're gay?" Mukuro's smile twisted into a grin as he started to laugh. "Kufufu. Pointers? Just stop caring. Works wonders when you do."

Yamamoto didn't think it would be that easy for him, and he wanted to hear how Mukuro had gotten through it. "Was it easy for you to stop caring?"

Mukuro shrugged, busying himself with brushing dirt off his clothing. "The more friends I told and the more they supported me, the more I realised I cared more about what _they _thought than anyone else. The only opinions that matter to me are positive ones."

_Yeah… _Yamamoto felt a smile come to his lips. _It did feel much better when I told Tsuna last week… Maybe Mukuro's right._

Mukuro, seeing that Chrome and the two boys were still busy buying drinks, kept talking, feeling rather useful at the minute. "Any other questions?"

"Well…" Yamamoto's shoulders tensed uncomfortably, almost nervous to divulge the fact that he had a crush to the older male. "…It's just… I-I have someone I really like at the minute, but… he doesn't even know I exist…"

"Oh, don't tell me you're a stalker." Mukuro's eyes widened in mock-surprise before he grinned. "Kufufu…"

"No, it's nothing like that. It's just… Well, he plain-out hates me, and I just don't know what I could have done for him to…"

"Does he know you're gay? No, rephrase that; does anyone know you're gay?"

"Just my dad and Tsuna."

"Hmm. Maybe you should just tell him how you feel." Mukuro ran a hand through Fran's hair as he felt the younger's body starting to relax, limp with sleep. "Maybe he doesn't know what to make of you. Who is it?"

Yamamoto felt his cheeks heat as his shoulders tensed. He glanced away as he mumbled, "…G… Goku…dera…"

Mukuro nodded, seemingly accepting of the other's choice. "He won't listen if you tell him otherwise. Maybe talk to Tsuna and see what he thinks you should do."

Yamamoto nodded, turning in time to see his friends walking back towards them. He smiled at Mukuro reaching out once more to ruffle Fran's hair. "Thanks for talking, Mukuro. Why's he here, anyway? Isn't he too young for middle school?"

"He wanted to see Bel." Mukuro accepted the can of coke Chrome handed him, thanking her quietly as she sat down next to them. When asked just who Bel was, he explained, "He goes to my school. We're in the same year level though he's older than me by a year. I got shifted into third year along with him and we got partnered up for every subject we share. Very unpleasant but Fran likes him."

Tsuna, who wasn't quite sure what they were talking about, had glanced at Yamamoto. He noticed the way his dark haired friend stared at Gokudera with longing eyes and he could only wish there was something he could do to help.

_I'll text him tonight when I go home, _Tsuna decided. _Enough is enough. _


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter's mostly for a bit of character background but there is also a bit of plot in here. I don't want to centre all the chapters around Tsuna, Yamamoto and Gokudera collectively because that gets boring after a while, so here's some other characters to enjoy with Yamamoto. **

Yamamoto had had his shower for the night and had just put his phone down, having been texting Tsuna. He had been relieved to hear that the brunet agreed with Mukuro's philosophy of not caring, deciding he would try to be more open about his orientation – but first, only around the people he trusted until he became more confident.

Mukuro had been kind enough to invite him over for dinner, saying he had some things he wanted to give the younger male. The dark-haired teenager wasn't exactly sure what the 'things' were, but he accepted the invitation anyway, curious about what Mukuro had in mind.

It didn't take too long to find the house Mukuro was living in. Knocking on the door, Yamamoto stepped back and patiently waited for someone to answer.

A purple-haired woman answered the door, greatly resembling Chrome. Yamamoto blinked, wondering if he had been texting the wrong person all this time.

The woman smiled as she greeted Yamamoto. "Hello. I'm Satu. You must be Mukuro-kun's friend?"

"Yes, but…" Yamamoto rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, "…you look an awful lot like his friend!"

"Oh, he didn't tell you?" Satu let out a small laugh. "I'm Chrome's mother, yes, but I'm Mukuro-kun's foster parent."

Yamamoto let out a sigh of relief. "Here I thought I had been texting Chrome."

"Please, come inside." Satu stepped to the side to allow the teenager entrance. "Mukuro-kun is up in his room with Bel-kun. It's the first door to the left upstairs."

"Ah, thank you." Yamamoto followed the directions he had been given, climbing the stairs before stopping at Mukuro's bedroom. The door was closed so he knocked politely, waiting for someone to answer.

The sound of footsteps sounded, approaching the bedroom door, and just a few seconds later Yamamoto was staring face-to-face with Mukuro.

"Glad you could come." Mukuro gestured for the younger to come inside, closing the door behind Yamamoto. "As I said, I have things for you."

"Thank you, Mukuro." As Yamamoto looked around the room, the first thing he noticed was the blond boy sitting on Mukuro's bed in the most awkward position he had ever seen.

The boy's head was hanging off the bed as his back lay sprawled across the mattress, his legs in an upright position against the wall. From the smile on the boy's face, it seemed the blond was quite content.

"Are you Bel?" Yamamoto asked. He smiled when the other nodded. "I'm Yamamoto. It's nice to meet you."

The blond did nothing but let out a strange laugh, one that – with his already established alien ideas of comfort – made Yamamoto feel as if he was dealing with a deranged killer.

"Just ignore him," Mukuro said as he passed Yamamoto and grabbed the plastic bag that was sitting by his desk. "These are for you. I'll tell you about them when the annoyance is gone."

"The prince isn't an annoyance," the blond spoke calmly, almost as if he was amused. "What's annoying is that little brat that sticks to me like glue."

Mukuro ignored this and instead gestured for Yamamoto to sit down. The dark-haired boy took a seat on the floor while the blue-haired teenager sat at his desk.

"Bel knows, by the way." Mukuro shrugged at the horrified expression on Yamamoto's face. "I didn't tell him. Fran had been telling Satu about today and Bel overheard."

Yamamoto frowned, putting his face in his hands. He looked up again at Bel's weird laugh, not sure what to think.

"Ushishishi, is the peasant embarrassed?" Bel's smile took on a twisted form, as if he were calculating something deadly in his mind.

"Be quiet, you." Mukuro turned his attention back onto Yamamoto. "He really has no ammunition; he steals dirty magazines out of his adoptive parents' room."

Yamamoto couldn't help but laugh at this, feeling a little more at ease.

The three talked for a little more before Chrome knocked on the door, telling them that dinner was ready.

"I guess we can expect you at the dinner table again, Bel?" Mukuro rolled his eyes as if he already knew the answer.

"Ushishishi, of course." Bel was the first to leave the room, literally dashing towards the kitchen.

"So what's in the bag?" Yamamoto asked once they were alone and walking slowly towards the dining room.

"Some old magazines of mine." Seeing Yamamoto's confused face, Mukuro laughed. "Kufufu… No, not like that. Satu bought them for me when I first came out. They've got some good tips in all aspects, including how to cope and tell other people."

"Oh, really? Thank you, Mukuro." Yamamoto smiled happily, already feeling as if he was being supported.

_He's such a nice guy once you get to know him, _the younger male thought to himself. _ Shame he doesn't have many friends. I think he has trouble trusting people, kind of like Gokudera…_

Entering the dining room, Yamamoto found everyone else already seated and waiting for them – all except Bel, who was already eating.

"Yamamoto, dear," Satu said, gesturing to the brunet man sitting beside her, "this is Chrome's step-father, Genjo."

"Oh, hello." Yamamoto smiled at the man, only to receive a grunt in response. His smile faltered for a few seconds before he caught Chrome's eye, seeing the glint of understanding in her violet eye, the other covered by an eye-patch. Was it always like that with the man?

Deciding he would try not to think about it too much, Yamamoto took a seat in between Mukuro and Bel, looking at the meal he had been served.

_Kare Raisu, _the boy thought with glee, his stomach rumbling at how good it looked.

Picking up his chopsticks, Yamamoto prepared himself to dig in. However, he was quickly distracted by the sound of metal hitting the plate coming from his right.

Wondering what the noise was, Yamamoto blinked and looked over at Bel, noticing the blond was using a spoon to violently stab at his food before scooping it up and swallowing it in one fell swoop.

"Why aren't you using chopsticks?" Yamamoto questioned curiously, his dark eyes looking up to search for ones hidden behind long bangs.

Bel just growled in annoyance as he hunched over his food and put an arm around it, almost as if he was prepared to defend it from anyone who was thinking of stealing it. "Mine," he growled out, taking another bite while staring at him as if to emphasise the fact.

Yamamoto raised his hands defensively as he tried to diffuse the situation. "Okay, okay, I'm not about to steal it from you…"

"Bel isn't from Japan," Satu explained. "He was originally from Italy. He moved here with his adoptive parents a few years back."

_I fear for this kid's sanity… _Yamamoto smiled as he nodded in acknowledgement, finally taking a bite of his food. As he had thought, it was delicious.

"This is really nice." Yamamoto had lifted his head to compliment the violet-haired woman but, as soon as his gaze had left his plate, he was only just in time to see the spoon come out of nowhere and steal some of his rice. "Oi!"

Yamamoto turned to Bel, ready to scold the older male for stealing some of his food, but the scowl that was plastered onto the blond's face, accompanied with the fact he couldn't see the other's eyes, he quickly gave up on his mission.

Standing up, Yamamoto took his plate and chopsticks, moving to Mukuro's side. "Can I sit here?"

"Kufufufu…" Mukuro slid across so that Yamamoto could sit between him and Fran.

_Those magazines had better be worth that… _Yamamoto thought to himself as he ate, his eyes every now and then flickering to Bel to make sure the blond stayed away – this was _his _food and it tasted too good to let some of it be stolen.

_**~~Later that night~~**_

Yamamoto had stayed after dinner at Mukuro's request, knowing it was rather dark outside by now and probably too cold to walk home. The blue-haired teenager had invited him to stay for the night, so here they were, sitting out in the living room with Chrome, watching as Bel and Fran versed each other on one of their gaming consoles.

"Is it…"

Mukuro and Yamamoto turned their attention to Chrome after hearing her small, uncertain voice.

"…Is it true you…" Chrome blushed before finishing, "…l-like Gokudera-san…?"

Yamamoto blinked before nodding. "Did you hear that from Fran? I heard he was telling everyone…"

"H-he doesn't understand…" Chrome, despite her fragile appearance, could be quite feisty when she wanted to be. Her protectiveness over her two foster-brothers only proved this. "He's young, and he…"

"It's alright, Chrome," Mukuro said softly. "He understands and he isn't mad about it."

Chrome smiled shyly, bowing her head in an apologetic manner. Yamamoto just laughed cheerfully and said it was okay as their attention turned back to the TV.

Yamamoto, at this moment, was just realising he knew next to nothing and Mukuro and his family. Turning to Chrome, he asked gently, aware that it could be a sensitive subject, why she wore an eye-patch.

"C-car accident…" Chrome mumbled, twiddling her hands nervously. "I tried to s-save a cat but got hit by a car…"

Yamamoto put his hand on Chrome's shoulder in understanding. "Hey, I get it. I'm sorry I asked."

Chrome smiled nervously back. She looked down when a small weight pulled itself onto her lap, putting her arms around Fran who was now nestled against her with heavy eyelids.

"I'm tired…" Fran mumbled.

"Let's get you to bed, then." Chrome was gentle as she stood up, pulling the boy into her arms. "Goodnight, Mukuro-sama. Goodnight, Y-yamamoto-san… B-bel-san…"

Yamamoto and Mukuro bid their goodnights while Bel just leaned back on his elbows, tilting his head to look upside down at them.

"The prince should go home before Squalo has another man-period," the blond said, sounding rather bored.

"Goodnight, Bel."

The blond just shrugged as he showed himself out, leaving Yamamoto and Mukuro alone together.

"Hey, how old is Fran?" Yamamoto asked curiously.

"Seven." Mukuro answered. "I'm going to head to bed now myself. I'll grab you a blanket and pillow."

Yamamoto waited patiently on the couch for his friend's return and, once he was given the items, made his bed up on the couch.

Mukuro had said goodnight and was halfway out the door before he stopped. He turned to Yamamoto with a curious expression on his face before he spoke. "By the way, you should invite Gokudera over for dinner. Did you notice how it's easier to relax and let people in?"

Yamamoto blinked, never having thought of the idea before. "Thank you, Mukuro. I'll try and do that."

"Goodnight."

With that said, Yamamoto was left to his own thoughts, deciding he _definitely _had to invite Tsuna and Gokudera around to his home for dinner, even if it was just for a friendly get-together.


	6. Chapter 6

**One of the reasons I don't really add Ken or Chikusa with Mukuro is because I find them rather difficult to write. It's easier for me to have them 'conveniently' elsewhere. **

**Also, just so you know in advance, Mukuro and the Varia (the rest are introduced in this chapter) are actually a pretty essential part of the plot. You'll see what I mean later on.**

As the months passed by and nothing Yamamoto did seemed to make things better between he and Gokudera, he had almost given up. He would have, if it weren't for Mukuro who kept pushing him to never give up, reminiscent of his relationship with Hibari – which had gone from the skylark wanting to murder his stalker, to wanting to murder his stalker in the most slow, painful method he could possibly think of. Yamamoto was too scared to point out that Mukuro's advice had made it worse on the blue-haired teenager's end.

At this current point in the dark-haired male's life, Yamamoto was spending time with Tsuna and Gokudera in town. They had just decided they would get lunch together and was ready to leave, but a familiar voice calling out to them made them stop.

Looking around, the three came face-to-face with Mukuro and his usual followers. Chrome was by his side with Fran in her arms, and the blond that Yamamoto remembered as Bel was trudging along by the younger male's side.

"Oh, hello, Mukuro." Tsuna greeted the older teenager, ignoring the way Gokudera grunted in dislike at the situation.

"Tsunayoshi." Mukuro nodded in acknowledgement before he tilted his head at the blond. "Would you mind taking him off my hands for a while? He's been following us everywhere claiming he's bored every five minutes."

Tsuna blinked at the male his friend was referring to. He bit his lip and stepped back, surveying the blond warily. He wasn't sure what to make of the unsettling grin that seemed to stretch to both sides of his face, but before he could say anything, Gokudera spoke.

"We don't want that freak." The silver-haired teenager scrunched his nose up at the sight of the blond. "You can keep him."

"Ushishishi," Bel giggled to himself as he stepped closer to Gokudera, invading the younger's personal space. "Want to play with the prince~?"

"What the – hell no!" Gokudera shoved Bel back towards Mukuro. "Get him away from me!"

Yamamoto watched in amusement, noticing that Tsuna didn't seem to be sure of how he was supposed to feel.

Wrapping his arm around the brunet, Yamamoto cheerfully volunteered to take Bel on-board, curious as to why the blond seemed to have an interest in Gokudera out of all of them.

Gokudera turned to face Yamamoto, his eyes narrowed. His mouth was open as if he were about to shout at the taller teenager, but it quickly shut once the silver-haired boy remembered he was supposed to treat Yamamoto as non-existent.

Bel wandered back over to the trio's side, his smile wide as he moved to Gokudera's side, prodding the other with a long, slender finger.

Gokudera just shouted in annoyance before moving to hide behind Tsuna. "Make him stop, Tenth!"

Tsuna had turned to ask Mukuro for help, but he was only in time to see said male was quickly retreating with Chrome by his side.

Gulping, Tsuna tried to stand up for his best friend. "A-ah… P-please don't poke Gokudera-kun like that… He doesn't like it…"

A large pout crossed the blond's face before he started poking the brunet instead. "The prince is bored. You should entertain him."

"A-ah, sure…"

"By the way, what are your names?" Bel tilted his head as he studied Gokudera and Tsuna. "The prince's name is Belphegor – but you can call him Bel."

"Well, this is Yamamoto –" Tsuna quickly shut up when the blond threw his hands up in the air with a childish whine.

"No~! I already know who Yamamoto is! I want to know who _you _are~!"

"Let's just go, Tenth." Gokudera tugged on the brunet's yellow jacket, trying to get him moving. "We don't need to hang around with freaks like this."

"Ah, it's alright, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna smiled shyly, his kind nature talking for him. "He can stay with us. Bel, this is Gokudera-kun and I'm Tsuna."

"Ushishishi…" Bel laughed again, his smile coming back to his face. "Let's go back to my house; the prince forgot his credit card~"

Gokudera mumbled something under his breath while Tsuna smiled shyly and Yamamoto laughed cheerfully.

_Today's going to be amusing. _Yamamoto smiled brighter at this thought. _I wonder if Gokudera will be in a better mood after getting to know Bel?_

_**~~Bel's house~~**_

Standing two houses down from Bel's, shouts could be heard. Bel just continued to smile as if this was normal, while the other three shared uneasy looks; the fighting was coming from Bel's house, and if they stepped in there…

"U-uh, Bel…?" Tsuna asked nervously. "Who is yelling?"

"Squalo. He's always on his man-period." Bel just shrugged before running up to his house and through the front door.

"Uhh… should we follow him…?" Tsuna asked. Gokudera just shrugged.

"I suppose so." Yamamoto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I mean – if we get yelled at, we can always run away, right…?"

The trio walked cautiously up to the house and entered hesitantly. The shouting seemed to have stopped, but…

"Voi! Who the fuck are _you three?" _

The kids froze at the sight of a long-haired male glaring at them rather intensely as he carried a tray laden with empty cups and plates. His hair was silver, and his grey eyes were narrowed.

Tsuna squeaked as he hid behind Gokudera, the taller teenager pulling Yamamoto in front of them as if he were a shield for when the loud male attacked.

"Squal-chan, you're so noisy." The trio turned to look at the stairs where Bel was descending, a handful of credit cards in his hand. The blond slipped the cards into his pocket before he waved a hand at the younger kids. "They're with the prince."

Tsuna noted that the man's eyes softened for a brief second before annoyance crossed his features. "Voi, brat! Why didn't you tell me you were bringing people home?"

"Oh, what's this?" Another strange male stepped into the room. Black glasses hid his eyes, a red Mohawk ran down the middle of his head, and a part of green hair hung to the side. The coat he was wearing had orange fur around the hood, and he was wriggling his hips in a way that made the three boys uncomfortable. "Oh, so cute~! Are you Bel's friends?"

"U-uh… well…" Tsuna rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, not sure what to say. "…W-we kind of… took him off Mukuro's hands earlier…"

"Oh, I see~! Bel-chan doesn't have many friends, so it's good to see him meeting new people~ Oh, wait until I tell Mammon~!"

The trio watched as the male ran back the way he had come from wordlessly. Bel didn't seemed fazed in the least, as if it were something he had long since grown used to.

"Damn Lussuria," the silver-haired male grunted as he turned around and followed the other male away. Calling over his shoulder, he addressed Bel before he disappeared, "Have fun, brat."

"Well… That was… interesting…" Tsuna laughed nervously as Bel closed the distance between them. "That was Squalo and Lussuria. Xanxus and Mammon were in the living room."

Yamamoto laughed heartily, trying to draw his own attention away from the fact that Gokudera still had a tight grip on his arm; this was the first sign of acknowledgement he had gotten out of the older male in months.

Just as the trio had turned to leave the house, they flinched as Squalo's loud voice shouted from the other side of the house before being silenced by the sound of glass breaking and an even louder, "Shut the fuck up, trash!"

The boys shared uneasy looks, noticing the way Bel seemed oblivious to whatever was going on in his own home – was he used to it, or did he just not care?

Gokudera, hadn't noticed he was still holding Yamamoto's arm, couldn't help but think there was a reason this random blond kid who had just been dumped on them was a freak.

Yamamoto, who had become lost in his thoughts, not willing to alert Gokudera to what he was doing, couldn't help but feel relieved he had invited Bel along with them – if they hadn't followed the blond back to his home, he may never have been acknowledged like this.

_**~~Gokudera~~**_

When Gokudera returned back to his home after having lunch with Tsuna and the two unwelcome nuisances, he greeted his sister who was sitting on the couch.

"Welcome back, Hayato," Bianchi acknowledged. "There's food for you on the bench if you're hungry."

Gokudera's stomach twisted in pain at the thought of his sister's horrid cooking – so inedible it may as well be poison. "Nah, it's alright, sis. I'm going to my room."

The silver-haired male closed his bedroom door behind as he entered his room, falling onto his bed. His thoughts were on Yamamoto and how the younger male had looked so sad when he was shoved away as if he carried the plague with him.

_Why doesn't he seem to give up on me? _Gokudera thought to himself. He looked up at his desk when his cat, Uri, jumped up onto it, knocking homework onto the floor. _It's like he's so desperate for my attention, he's willing to let me hurt him if that's what it takes. _

_I just don't understand why someone like _him _would want to be my friend. He's so… He's so much better than I am… So much more capable of being the Tenth's right-hand man – better than I could ever be… _

_Is it because I'm scared the Tenth will like him better than me? The Tenth is my best friend – I don't want to lose him. That baseball-idiot's a threat to our relationship. …So why can I never get him out of my mind? _

_I don't… I don't want to lose my only friend… Not to someone I don't stand a chance against…_

With a sigh, Gokudera picked up his phone and scrolled through his messages, finding the one and only text he had from Yamamoto buried amongst ones from his sister and Tsuna. Opening the message, he read the simple question. _Do you want to have lunch at my place one day so we can try and get along better?_

_I didn't even read this… _Gokudera didn't know why he felt so bad – maybe it had to do with the mental image of Yamamoto waiting by his phone for hours, waiting for that text he _knew _wasn't going to be returned, a look of sadness on his usually chipper face.

Typing a one-worded reply, the older teenager felt slightly better about himself and the way he treated Yamamoto. _Okay. _

Throwing his phone onto the bedside table next to him, Gokudera got to his feet and moved to pick up what Uri had knocked to the ground. He shivered, the feeling of being watched arousing his suspicion.

Putting the papers onto the desk haphazardly, the teenager moved to his window, checking that it was locked tight before pulling the blind down, blocking all outsiders' views into his room.

_That's better, _Gokudera thought to himself, running his hand along his usually-nasty cat's back. _I wonder if there actually _was _anyone out there or not. _

_**~~Nightfall~~**_

By the time Bel trudged back into his home for dinner, he could hear his adoptive parents and their friends' discussion drawing to a close. He knew he wasn't allowed to listen in on these things, and as much as he would have loved to do so, there was no point as the others had just finished their conversation.

Instead climbing the stairs with the intent to go to bed, Bel went straight to his room. He slammed his door closed loud enough to announce his return before he sat down on his bed, untying his boots so he could kick them away somewhere in the mess that was his room.

It took only a few minutes for a knock to sound on the teenager's door before Squalo's loud voice announced that he was coming in.

Bel was curled up in his bed by the time Squalo sat on the edge of it, a troubled expression crossing his face.

"I'm giving these back to you, brat," the silver-haired man announced as he passed a handful of strangely-shaped knives back to the boy.

The sixteen-year-old was glad his confiscated knives were being returned, but he couldn't help but wonder why – unless…

"If you're going out of the house, stay close with your friends." Squalo's nose crinkled before he continued, "And _only _use those knives if you need to. I don't want to be the one cleaning up the mess."

Bel's obscured eyes blinked. He tilted his head, his usual smile morphing into a frown. "Is it… _them?" _

Squalo nodded. "Don't stress on it. We'll look after you, Bel. Get some sleep."

Bel knew something was wrong when Squalo was uncharacteristically quiet. He was placid as a large hand ruffled his blond hair before the man left the room.

Rolling onto his side, Bel ran his fingers across the blades of the knives he had made himself, thinking. _I kind of like those kids. I hope I didn't get them involved in this because I was bored; they're fun to play with. _

Sighing to himself, Bel closed his eyes as he drifted into sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Yamamoto couldn't have been happier when Gokudera sat across from him in his family's sushi restaurant, the silver-haired teenager scowling as he glanced around him – _acknowledging _that the one he had tried so hard to ignore actually _did _exist.

Gokudera, however, was finding it difficult to keep his temper in check – he knew the younger male wanted to be friends, just like how Tsuna wanted them to get along for once, but he couldn't find it in himself to _trust _Yamamoto.

_I'm only doing this for the Tenth, _the smaller teen thought grudgingly to himself as he slid rice around on his plate. _Just tolerate him, Hayato... Tolerate him... _

The black-haired boy was placid, his eyes fixed on the television attached to the roof as he watched the baseball game. His friend – or the angry teenager whom he wanted desperately to at least be friends with – ignored the game, focusing instead on the phone he was idly playing with, contemplating on whether or not he should leave.

_This is rather boring... _Gokudera scowled to himself as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. _I could have had better amusement in class... He's not even paying any attention to me..._

Just as these thoughts passed through his mind, the older teenager snapped back to reality as Yamamoto spoke, the dark-haired male's voice as cheerful as ever.

"Yo, Gokudera!" Sparkling dark eyes turned to look into green ones as Yamamoto grinned happily, finally gathering up the courage to speak to his long-time crush. "I heard from Tsuna you have a cat."

Gokudera's frown furthered at these words – was this Yamamoto's attempt at making small talk? _What...? Does he seriously think...? _ "...Yeah..."

"What's its name?" Yamamoto seemed interested as his attention diverted from the baseball game in front of them, quite a surprise to the small male – baseball was his most favourite thing in the world.

"...U... Uri..." Gokudera mumbled, confused – why, of all things, was Yamamoto finally showing an interest in his life? Was it because... it seemed as if he was finally letting the younger in...? Was Yamamoto finally feeling comfortable enough to try and get to know him better...?

_I thought... he didn't care much for me... _Green eyes blinked as Gokudera tried to understand what was happening. _Had I been wrong all along... to treat him like this...?_

Yamamoto laughed upon hearing the cat's name. His usual dopy smile was plastered on his face, dark eyes sparkling even more. "Kinda strange name, isn't it?"

"S-shut up!" Gokudera flushed as he hunched together defensively, bristling like an angry cat would.

"Oi, I have a dog." There was that happy-go-lucky smile once more. "A bird, too."

For the first time since he had arrived here, Gokudera felt interested in the younger male. Speaking quietly and avoiding eye contact, he hesitantly asked, "...What kind of dog...?"

"An Akita. His name is Jirou. Want to meet him?"

Gokudera nodded, fumbling with his hands. He stood up when Yamamoto did and followed the taller teenager out of the restaurant and into the backyard. He wondered why he had never heard that the other had a dog, but it was enough to motivate him into trying to trust the other – he liked animals for the fact they were much more trustworthy and kind than people.

As Yamamoto had promised, a small brown and white dog approached, its tail wagging happily as it looked at the newcomer. It briefly stopped to lick its owner's outstretched hand before sitting in front of Gokudera, its head tilted in curiosity.

Kneeling down, Gokudera clapped his hands together, calling the dog's name. He ran his hand down its soft fur as the animal approached, a genuine smile on the Italian-Japanese teenager's face.

"I didn't know you liked animals," Yamamoto pointed out as he observed the way skinny arms wrapped around his dog in a hug.

"...Well, I do..." Gokudera grunted, tilting his head away from the dog's invasive tongue.

"He plays baseball," the taller boy pointed out, wanting to share his pride in his dog with the other.

Gokudera blinked. _What...? It... It plays _baseball...? "How...?"

"He plays fielder. He also carries my bats in his mouth."

"No way." For the first time since being introduced to the dark-haired teenager, Gokudera felt _interested, _as if he wanted to _know_ Yamamoto. "He fields?"

"He's smart." Yamamoto leant over to pat Jirou on the head. "Do you like him?"

"..." Nodding, not ready to truly acknowledge the fact that he was starting to _enjoy _knowing the younger, Gokudera gave the dog one more pat before he stood up. "...My cat, Uri... He's pretty mean... It's nice to pat a gentle animal and not be used as a scratching post."

Yamamoto laughed heartily, his grin still on his face as he replied, "Well, they say animals take after their owners, Gokudera."

Flustered once more, Gokudera put his hands on his hips in a rather snobbish manner as he _attempted _to rebut the accusation. "He only scratches _me._"

Once again, Yamamoto merely laughed. "Hey, this is pretty fun. Can we hang out more often?"

As much as Gokudera wanted to say no, seeing the hopeful, almost _pleading _look on the younger's face, he reluctantly nodded, looking at the ground as he did so.

Yamamoto felt as if he had just died and gone to heaven – he had waited _so long _for Gokudera to accept him, and now...

Wrapping a strong arm around the smaller teen's shoulders, Yamamoto was cheerful as he started planning things out already. "How about next weekend? I'm free then. We can go see another movie together. Or we could go watch the baseball game together. Maybe we could even _play _baseball. Or perhaps –"

Brushing off the stronger arm, Gokudera scowled as he interrupted the rambling, "—You're making it sound like a date, baseball freak."

Yamamoto blushed, knowing he had gotten ahead of himself already in his joy. Scratching his cheek with one finger, he smiled uneasily, hoping his crush didn't notice. "Y-yeah, I... I guess I did..."

_Wow, he actually sounds disappointed, _Gokudera thought to himself. _It's almost as if he was hoping it _was _a date. What a – wait... D-date...? Does that mean... _

Green eyes widened in horror as Gokudera shoved at Yamamoto, trying to push the other away.

Yamamoto complied, not wanting to distress Gokudera when they were just starting to get along. He understood that his friend had worked things out and, from the silver-haired teen's reaction, his affection was _not _returned.

_W-what the – I... _Gokudera had never felt so panicked before. He felt as if he were about to throw up, as if he had been cornered by something he didn't want to face, like he had no way out of the situation he was in. His heart pounded against his chest as thoughts flew by in his head like cars on a busy street. _I-I don't even... I'm not... I don't... I have no idea... Why does it feel strange...? I..._

"I..." Gokudera turned on his feet and sprinted from the backyard as fast as he could, shouting over his shoulder, "...I have to go!"

The silver-haired boy didn't want to look back, not wanting to see the look of heartbreak he knew the younger would be donning. He didn't stop running until Takesushi was out of sight and, resting against a fence along the busy street, he pulled his vibrating phone from his pocket.

_I'm sorry for making you so uncomfortable, _was Yamamoto's text. _I swear I didn't want you to know because I just want us to be friends._

_It's not that, _Gokudera thought to himself as he slipped the phone back into his pocket, not knowing how to reply, _it's the fact that, for the first time in my life, I'm now questioning my sexuality – and I don't like what I'm feeling. _

_Could it be... that for all this time, I've... been attracted to him, too... Is that why I treated him so badly... _

_Fuck... What the hell is wrong with me...?_


	8. Chapter 8

A week had passed by since Yamamoto last saw Gokudera, and the fact that Tsuna had been going back to the silver-haired teenager's house after school just to check up on him worried the dark-haired male; had he screwed up so badly, something had happened to Gokudera?

The younger male felt so horrible for what had happened, he hadn't even had the motivation to play baseball. He wanted to go to Gokudera's home and talk with him – to work things out – but he knew that would make everything worse; he knew the silver-haired male well enough to know Gokudera would react badly – the older male would probably take Yamamoto's presence as the dark-haired male trying to force him into _something._

Tsuyoshi had noticed the strange behaviour in his son – there was rarely a time in the boy's life he didn't want to play baseball – but no matter what he did, Yamamoto wouldn't open up to him.

"I think it would be a good idea for you to get out of the house and play with your friends, son," Tsuyoshi tried as he noticed Yamamoto curled up in his bed, staring wistfully out of the window.

"Tsuna and Gokudera are busy, dad," Yamamoto lied, not wanting to explain things just yet.

"But don't you have other friends?" Tsuyoshi could be persistent when he wanted to be. "I see you talking with that blond boy who comes to eat here. You two seem friendly."

"That's Bel, but I'm not sure if I…" Yamamoto trailed off before he sighed; he knew no matter what he said, Tsuyoshi wouldn't leave him alone until he agreed to go out with some friends. "…I'll see if Bel and Mukuro are busy…"

"Good work, Takeshi." Tsuyoshi smiled brightly, glad that his son was finally going to get some fresh air; he hated seeing the younger moping around all the time.

"Be back later, dad," Yamamoto said as he sat up and started getting ready to depart the house.

It didn't take the black-haired teenager long to leave but, when he did, that strange feeling of being watched sent shudders down his spine.

Glancing behind him, Yamamoto picked up his pace slightly despite not seeing anyone – this feeling had been coming and going a lot over the past week, and no matter what he did he couldn't shake it.

_**~~Tsuna and Gokudera~~**_

"I still think you should talk to Yamamoto," Tsuna said as he sat on the floor by his friend's desk. Gokudera was sitting at it, fighting with his cat over who got to do what with his homework sheets. "He's been pretty upset."

"I don't – oww! Goddamnit, Uri, this is _my _homework! – I don't know _what_ to say, Tenth!" Gokudera didn't mean to snap at his best friend, but with the stress of everything that had been happening and now trying to avoid Uri's sharp claws, he was ready to explode.

"You should be honest with him." Tsuna reached up and grabbed the cat from his friend's hands. "He knew from the start you probably wouldn't return his feelings, and so he just wanted to be friends."

Gokudera ran his hand over the fresh cuts Uri had inflicted on his arms, sighing as he did so. "Tenth, I… I-it's not just that… I finally started letting him in, and just when I thought… I could trust him like I do you… He drops a bombshell on me, Tenth… I don't know what I'm feeling anymore. I've never… _questioned _myself… you know?"

"That's why it'd be a good idea to talk to Yamamoto and explain that you're confused," Tsuna pointed out. "He doesn't know what's going on – all he knows is that he's upset you, and he doesn't know what to do."

"…I don't know how to act around him anymore, Tenth…"

"I imagine it would be just like when you didn't realise he liked you," Tsuna said softly, patting the cat that was now curled up in his lap. "He tried to hide it as best he could so he didn't make you uncomfortable. You should ask him to keep doing that until you work things out."

"…" _The Tenth's right… Surely things don't need to change…? Surely if he were going to do anything, he'd have done it before I knew, right…? Maybe… he really _is _trustworthy… _"Tenth, do you think you could come with me if I talk to him?"

Tsuna smiled as he nodded. "Of course."

"Can you text him and ask where he is?" Gokudera flushed as he looked away, scratching his chin nervously. "I kind of… deleted his number…"

Tsuna hummed as he pulled his phone from his pocket, his nimble fingers working quickly against the keys. They only waited a few minutes before Yamamoto sent a text back, saying he was with Bel and Mukuro in town and that the two could join them.

_I don't even know if it's a good or bad thing there'll be two others around… _Gokudera bit his lip as thought about it. _I'll probably be the laughing stock if they hear what happened… _

Standing up to grab his phone and wallet, Gokudera was quiet as he followed behind Tsuna, unsure of where they were going but knowing Tsuna was.

_**~~Time skip ~~**_

When Gokudera pushed open the door to the cafeteria Yamamoto and the others were supposedly at, he tensed as he walked in, heading straight to where he could see the younger male sitting in a corner booth with Mukuro.

Tsuna went over first, slipping in to sit across from the two, greeting them happily. Gokudera sat next to him, looking anywhere but at Yamamoto.

"Where's Bel?" Tsuna asked, noticing that the blond wasn't with them.

"He took Fran to the bathroom," Mukuro said before taking a sip of his water. "Nice of you to join us, Tsunayoshi."

Gokudera shifted uneasily beneath both Mukuro's and Yamamoto's gazes; he felt exposed, as if the two were picking him apart and searching for his flaws. He felt small, like a young child would after being reprimanded by a stranger. He wanted to speak, to talk to Yamamoto, to ask him to talk privately, but he didn't want to give Mukuro ideas.

Thankfully, Tsuna was the one to handle things for him, always the knowing friend. "Mukuro, when Bel and Fran come back, can I speak to you both about something?"

Mukuro raised a thin eyebrow in curiosity before he nodded. He picked up the toasted sandwich he hadn't eaten, taking small bites out of it as he waited for the two to emerge from the bathroom.

Yamamoto was almost too scared to keep looking at Gokudera; he feared ruining the chance to patch things up, to make the older male even angrier with him, but at the same time he was horrified of the idea of fixing things.

_Stay calm, Hayato…_ Gokudera picked at his nails as he waited for Tsuna to get them alone, trying to go over what he could possibly say. _Should I tell him I'm confused as to my own feelings? Should I reject him? Or accept him? The Tenth tells me to be honest – but how do I convey that clearly? _

"We'll be back, guys."

Gokudera blinked and looked around at Tsuna's voice, having been so lost in his thoughts he hadn't even noticed Fran and Bel emerging from the bathroom, nor Tsuna or Mukuro standing up to leave.

The angry teenager briefly wondered what Tsuna was going to say to them before he looked back down at his lap, not knowing how to start.

It was Yamamoto who took the initiative, his usually-cheerful voice shaking. "I-I'm really sorry if I-I made you uncomfortable… It wasn't… intentional… I-I just wanted us to be friends… I swear…"

Gokudera shook his head, still avoiding eye-contact. _Damnit, why is it so hard to _look _at him…?_

"I understand," the silver-haired teenager spoke softly. "Maybe I… Maybe I overreacted… I just… Well, I… I've never… _thought_ about who I'm attracted to before… I never thought I could possibly be attracted to males… I'm just… confused… And if possible… at least until I work things out… I want us to go back to pretending…"

Yamamoto frowned, the hopeful glint in his eye that had been there previously now gone. "…I-I was… kind of hoping you wouldn't ignore me anymore…"

"I-I didn't mean it like that!" Gokudera raised his voice before lowering it, mindful of the eyes that were turning to face them. "…I meant… I don't want things to change between us because of your feelings…"

The younger male smiled lightly in understanding. "I see…"

It was silent between them for a while, neither boy knowing how to proceed from here. The silence was broken only by the sound of a plate scraping against the table and, when Gokudera looked down, he noticed the other's plate in front of him, the pie waiting patiently to be eaten.

"What…?" Gokudera blinked at Yamamoto, not knowing what to say – he had just… given him his _food…? _

"You looked hungry…" Yamamoto glanced out of the corner of his eyes, feeling as if he were being scrutinised by the other. "I-I haven't touched it, if that's what you're worried about…"

Without a word, Gokudera picked up the knife and fork that were sitting on the plate beside the pie. He grunted slightly as he stabbed the pie with the fork, holding it still so that he could cut through the middle.

Dark eyes watched in confusion as Gokudera separated the two halves of the pie, placing one on a napkin beside them before sliding the plate back over to Gokudera.

"You paid for it…" Gokudera mumbled, hunching over as he started picking at the pie.

Yamamoto was silent for a second before he laughed happily, feeling as if the tension between them had been lifted by those four words. He smiled and nodded before he started eating at his food, feeling relaxed once more.

Gokudera, likewise, felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted and, in comfortable silence, the two ate their half of the pie, a simple understanding between them – until Gokudera could work things out for himself, things didn't have to change.


	9. Chapter 9

By the time Tsuna and Mukuro walked back into the café to re-join Gokudera and Yamamoto, the two couldn't help but notice Fran and Bel weren't with them.

Yamamoto was the one to question this. "Where are Bel and Fran?"

"Bel saw his 'best friend'…" Mukuro was sure to make quotation marks with his fingers as he rolled his heterochromatic eyes, "…and wandered off. Fran followed."

"That freak has _friends?" _Gokudera questioned sourly – it was no secret the silver-haired teenager didn't like Bel.

"His name is Mammon," Mukuro said, sitting down beside Yamamoto. "He came over from Italy with the rest of them from what I understand."

"Hey, I almost forgot," Gokudera started, not meaning to change the topic, "but I have to get some more food for Uri. Does anyone want to come for a walk?"

Yamamoto was the first to volunteer, a hopeful glint in his eyes; he wasn't too sure if the older teenager wanted him to go or not, but he could only offer and see what happens, right?

To the younger's surprise, Gokudera _smiled _before nodding, those usually-angry green eyes soft. "Why not? Are you coming, Tenth?"

Tsuna shook his head, not wanting to get in the way of his friends' budding friendship. "I'm gonna hang around with Mukuro for a while. I'll see you guys later."

Yamamoto was cheerful as he got to his feet, moving to the smaller teenager's side. He wrapped his arm around Gokudera's shoulders as he always did with Tsuna, happier than he had been in a while – he _finally _got to spend some time with Gokudera willingly.

"Yo, Gokudera," Yamamoto started, an overly happy tone in his voice, "afterwards, can I come over and meet your cat?"

The silver-haired teenager was uncomfortable about bringing someone other than Tsuna home, not used to such a thing – he really didn't know what to do or how to act.

"…I…" Gokudera frowned as he tried to explain, "…I have never really had people over before…"

"That's okay." Yamamoto smiled. "Anything else you want to do while we're in town? I was thinking we could go play a bit of baseball – would you mind if I taught you how to play?"

The truth was that Gokudera was far from a sporty type of person, but with the happy look on Yamamoto's face, he couldn't help but nod. "Sure… But I want to stop at home first so I can feed Uri."

Yamamoto was cheerful as he nodded – he was smart enough to recognise that this was the older male's way of inviting him over. "No problem, Gokudera."

There was a comfortable silence between them as they walked together, neither of them needing constant chatter.

The only thing that was ruining the moment was that unshakable feeling of being watched.

Neither teenager mentioned the feeling, both believing it to be nothing of importance – it had been happening for weeks now and nothing had come of it; it was surely nothing.

_Gokudera's hair looks so soft… _Yamamoto smiled dreamily as he fought the urge to reach out and touch the silver strands, not wanting to make his friend uncomfortable – if they could only remain as such, he was happy. _I wonder if he'll ever let me touch it – I know touching makes him nervous._

Yamamoto had been so lost in his thoughts he almost walked into Gokudera when the smaller male stopped outside of the pet shop. He chuckled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head, apologising with a laugh.

_Idiot… _Gokudera couldn't help but smile at the thought, shrugging Yamamoto's stuff up off – there was really no point in holding a grudge for a mistake anyone could make.

The dark-haired teenager smiled as he looked at the animals around him, wondering if the soothing aura they gave was the reason why his friend would rather pay more money on cat food here than somewhere else.

_This is really quite nice… _Yamamoto smiled to himself as he relaxed, having never thought he'd be standing here in peaceful bliss with his crush. _I hope we can do this more often. _

Gokudera was quiet as he gathered the necessities, paying for them with money Yamamoto wasn't sure how he got – the older teenager didn't have a job, or even a family to supply him with money apart from his sister.

Once again, the peaceful feeling washed over them as they walked back to Gokudera's apartment, no words needed to enjoy the other's company.

_He's actually tolerable now that I've given him the chance… _Gokudera could almost kick himself for not having done this sooner – he was enjoying the younger's presence almost as much as Tsuna's. _I wonder… if it would really be so bad in having a relationship with him… Would he stand for a trial date? Or would he take it all too seriously? _

_But what if we _did _become boyfriends…? What happens next…? I've never dated anyone before, and I don't know what to do… What if I mess up…? It's frightening to think that after letting someone through my walls, I could lose them because of how socially awkward I am…_

_If I take the chance and blow it, what happens? Would everything be for nought? …But this is _Yamamoto! _…I… I honestly… feel as if… no matter what I screw up… He'll understand…_

Glancing up at the boy walking beside him, Gokudera felt his insides warm in a shy manner as he watched Yamamoto hum happily, looking at a butterfly that had landed on his outstretched finger.

_Yamamoto honestly… is far too gentle to hurt a fly… _Gokudera felt a tad more confident at the realisation, knowing that if he were to practise his social skills with anyone, Yamamoto was the best – the dark-haired male took everything in stride and rarely became upset with anyone.

Trusting his gut feeling that was screaming _let Yamamoto in, _Gokudera swallowed thickly as he realised that was exactly what he was trying to do – and though it didn't come as naturally as it did with Tsuna, whatever he was doing was working.

_Is it… that I really _do _return his feelings…? If it is… it actually feels pretty good. _

_**~~Gokudera's apartment~~**_

Just like with Tsuna, Uri wasn't a violent beast towards Yamamoto like he was with his owner. Yamamoto laughed at the disappointment on his friend's face, stroking the purring cat in his lap happily.

Gokudera had finally relaxed, deciding they could hang out a bit at his apartment before they went to the baseball nets, trying to get the hang of having a friend over – his friendship and undying loyalty to Tsuna came so naturally, it actually came as a shock to him to realise he didn't know what to do with anyone else.

The silver-haired teenager was sprawled out on the couch, watching intently a documentary on the TV about Nessie, while Yamamoto sat on the floor next to him, playing with the cat.

It wasn't until Yamamoto stood up to grab a drink, and at the same time Gokudera leant down to pick up Uri, did they realise how close their faces had unintentionally become. Yamamoto could feel his crush's hot breath on his lips and, if he leant forward just the slightest, he could close the gap between their lips.

Gokudera was shocked by the unexpected proximity, but part of him wanted to press their lips together and find out what it was like to kiss someone – the other, more sane part of him was almost too afraid, scared that he would ruin whatever it was between him and Yamamoto.

The younger boy, as if sensing his friend's anxiousness, was the one to initiate things.

Leaning forward so that he could ghost his lips over smaller ones, Yamamoto had never felt so good in his life – and when Gokudera pressed back against him, he felt as if sparks were flying. Everything was so… so… _perfect. _

Yamamoto reached up to grip at the blue jacket his crush wore, pulling the older teenager off the couch and into his lap. They sat on the floor, Gokudera in Yamamoto's lap with the younger's arm wrapped around him, just pressing their lips together with the inexperience that came with sharing first kisses.

Gokudera opened his mouth, willing to let Yamamoto invade his wet cavern but, just before the dark-haired boy could do so, the ringing of Gokudera's phone broke them apart.

Muttering a soft 'Sorry…' to Yamamoto, the usually-angry teenager answered the call that he could see was from Tsuna.

"What's up?" Gokudera asked casually, expecting the brunet to be asking where they were so they could meet up – but when loud sobs and shouting in the background could be heard, he started to panic. "T-tenth?!"

"G-gokudera-kun…" Tsuna continued to sob over the line, a soft whimper escaping his lips at a particularly loud bang that even Yamamoto could hear. "G-gokudera-kun, I-I… It's…"

"Where are you?" Gokudera stood up, ready to find his best friend and protect him with his life if need be.

"…B-bel's house…" Tsuna whispered, almost as if he were hiding from someone. "There's… There's blood everywhere…"

It was then everything made sense to Gokudera; the constant feeling of being watched, why Bel and his family had moved from overseas, why said boy was a nutcase – and the feelings of being watched had started the day he had met Bel.

Right now, Gokudera had to be the best friend that he could be and protect his beloved Tenth.

"C'mon!" Gokudera was already halfway to the front door as he shouted back for Yamamoto to follow him. "Something's wrong!"

_This explains everything… _Yamamoto, like his friend, had quickly summed it all together and, with all the strength he could muster, he would do whatever it took to protect his friends.


	10. Chapter 10

By the time Gokudera and Yamamoto arrived at Bel's house, the building was on the fire. The area was cordoned off by police and fire trucks surrounded the area, but for whatever reason no one was entering the house.

"What the fuck are you doing just standing there?!" Gokudera screamed at the nearest officer, pointing drastically towards the fire. "Our friend is in there!"

"It's not safe," the officer tried to explain. "There were reports of gunshots and it's too dangerous to send someone in like this. I'm sorry, but it's a tough situation."

"The fucking house is on _fire!" _Gokudera pointed out. "There's _people_ in there, and the fucking idiots are just standing around while it burns instead of putting it out!"

Before the officer could say anything further, Yamamoto leapt over the barricade, running into the burning house as he shouted his friend's name. Several people tried to stop him but once they were within a few feet of the house, they stopped.

Outside, Gokudera struggled to fight the officer off, the man having grabbed hold of his jacket wisely to prevent the teenager from running in after his friend.

"Let me go, you asshole!" Gokudera screamed. "I'll fucking –"

"Gokudera…"

The silver-haired teenager stopped struggling as he heard a familiar voice. Turning around, he came face-to-face with Chrome and Mukuro, both looking as if they were about to cry.

"Mukuro!" Gokudera reached out, pulling the older male close by the other's collar. "Mukuro, where's the Tenth?! Where is he?!"

"Calm down, Gokudera…" Mukuro gently pried the younger's hands from his person, and it was then Gokudera noticed the dried blood all over them.

"Mukuro…" Gokudera bit his lip, trying to understand what had happened.

"It seems trouble has followed Bel all the way from Italy…" Mukuro observed, his eyes darting over to the fire.

"What do you mean?" The younger teenager wasn't sure if he wanted to hear this – all he wanted was to know if the Tenth was okay or not.

"They moved overseas because there had been a hit put out on all of their lives." Mukuro moved a hand to his side, a large spot of blood staining his mist-patterned shirt. "They knew they had been found, but there was nothing they could do about it apart from staying hidden as best as they could. But…"

"They attacked them?" Gokudera finished, only to receive a hesitant nod from Chrome at these words.

"M-mukuro-sama…" the shy girl begun, her hands fumbling over each other, "…Mukuro-sama came back home… H-hurt…"

"I had been down in the kitchen when someone attacked me from behind," Mukuro explained. "I didn't have any time to warn the others – everyone else was upstairs, and I could hear the fighting up there already… I managed to stab the one who attacked me in the stomach and I took that time to run home and call the police…"

"The ambulance is here, too." Chrome pointed out past the fire trucks. "L-lussuria and X-xanxus… They're being t-treated. T-they got out of the house…"

Gokudera dropped to his knees, trying to take in everything that was happening. So someone had attacked them, and Yamamoto had stupidly run inside after Tsuna? …But wasn't that what _he _was about to do before the cop held him back..? Could he really be angry at his friend for risking his life for Tsuna when he _himself _wanted nothing more than to do the same?

In fact, it seemed as if Yamamoto's boldness to protect Tsuna only made Gokudera appreciate him all the more.

"Fran is in there somewhere…" Mukuro mumbled, the stress evident in his heterochromatic eyes. "He was with Bel and Tsuna when I went downstairs. I… I don't know… what to expect…"

_Fuck… _Gokudera could feel tears welling up in his eyes, terrified for his friends' safety. _Tenth… Yamamoto… You'd _both _better come out of this alive… I swear…_

_**~~Yamamoto~~**_

The young boy could barely see where he was going, but he could hear someone screaming from upstairs. Listening to the cries, Yamamoto followed them up the stairs, holding his blue jacket over his mouth so he could try and avoid inhaling the smog.

Ducking as a smouldering piece of roof fell from where he had just been standing, Yamamoto knew he had to be careful.

The smoke was thickest up stairs, but the yells were still guiding Yamamoto.

After travelling just a few feet down the burning corridor, a lifeless body lying on the hardwood almost tripped him over.

Leaning down, blinking to clear smoke from his vision, Yamamoto could make out from the silver hair that it was Squalo, lying in a puddle of blood.

Reaching out to place a finger against Squalo's neck, Yamamoto was relieved to feel a slight pulse – one that meant he was still alive, but would die soon enough if the teenager didn't get help.

_I'll come back for you, Squalo – I promise. _Standing up, the dark-haired boy continued down the hallway, finally arriving outside the room where the cries were coming from.

Yamamoto almost couldn't open the door; something heavy was blocking the door. Gathering up all the strength he could muster, the teenager kicked at the door, budging it just a bit.

_C'mon… _Yamamoto could feel the smoke taking effect on him; he had to get in to the room – fast.

Kicking just a few more times, Yamamoto finally made enough space for him to get through, finding that, just like back on the stairs, some of the roof had collapsed, trapping someone inside.

The room didn't look as bad as the rest of the house - perhaps it had been on the other side of the building from where the fire had started.

Tsuna was sitting on a desk by an open window, cradling Fran as they both struggled to keep breathing. From the looks of things, Tsuna had a bit of blood on his face and shirt, a few burns on his hands, whereas Fran's clothing had been taken off him, splashes of blood on the insides of his thighs.

"Tsuna!" Yamamoto was quick to take his jacket from his face and instead hand it to the other two. He took Fran from his friend, helping the brunet to his feet. "Tsuna, Squalo's unconscious in the hallway. I think he's still alive – we've got to get him out."

Tsuna nodded, unsteady on his feet. He used Yamamoto as support as they crossed the room, and he was able to get through the door by himself, crawling through the gap the younger male had created.

Yamamoto cradled Fran with one arm, letting the boy use his shirt to filter the smoke as he cried, and with his other arm, he leant down to pick up Squalo. Tsuna slipped his shoulder beneath the man's right arm for support, helping carry him out of the house.

When they got out in fresh air and a few paramedics came to take the ones who had been trapped in the building back to an ambulance, Mukuro approached Yamamoto, a confused look in his eyes.

"Did you not find Bel?" Mukuro asked.

Yamamoto's mouth dropped open, realising he had forgotten all about the blond – but how was he supposed to explain that to Mukuro? "…I… I-I…"

"Was there any danger in there?!"

Yamamoto and Mukuro turned around to see two officers standing behind them, a radio in their hands.

The dark-haired teenager shook his head. "Whoever did the attacks are gone, but… I-I couldn't… I couldn't find my friend… I think he's still in there somewhere…"

One officer raised the radio to his lips, calling for back-up, while the other reassured Yamamoto and Mukuro that they'd send in some professionals to look for their friend.

Chrome came to their sides and, with the girl, the three walked slowly to the ambulances, knowing there was nothing else they could do.

They could see Xanxus and Lussuria sitting inside one ambulance, a few pieces of gauze on their faces and some blood on their clothing, but apart from that, they looked fine.

"Are you guys okay?" Yamamoto questioned in a sympathetic voice.

"Hmph." Xanxus narrowed his eyes as if he couldn't stand the idea of being thought of as weak enough to not be able to handle himself. "Trash was nothing."

"We're fine, dear." Lussuria smiled as he gestured to their bodies. "The blood isn't ours."

"Why'd you run?" Mukuro questioned in a disapproving tone, almost as if he were disgusted that the two men could abandon the others. "You left everyone else behind."

"Shut up, trash," Xanxus growled. "You wouldn't know anything about it."

"We didn't run," Lussuria explained. "We chased off the ones attacking us, but before we could get back inside there was an explosion. It was too dangerous for us, but we trusted Squalo to take care of the kids."

"I see…" Yamamoto frowned, knowing that whoever had attacked them had been too much for Squalo to handle by himself. "Who was it?"

"A group calling themselves the Millefiore," the gay male explained.

"Where's the blond trash?" Xanxus questioned. "I didn't see him being brought over."

"…I couldn't find him…" Yamamoto whispered, not wanting to admit that he had forgotten all about Bel in his haste to help the others.

Xanxus didn't reply to this, but Lussuria was quick to convey his distress. "Oh, my poor dear! I hope he's going to be alright!"

Mukuro nodded, knowing that no matter how much Bel annoyed him, he was still close to the blond and cared deeply for his wellbeing.

"I'm going to ask how Fran is doing," Mukuro said before excusing himself.

"Ah, I'm worried about Tsuna," Yamamoto admitted. "I'll come with you, Mukuro."

Moving to the ambulance that was parked across from the one Lussuria and Xanxus were sitting in, they found Gokudera already resting by Tsuna's side, a look of worry on his face.

"Yo, Tsuna." Yamamoto's voice lacked the cheerful tone it usually held, replaced instead by one of sadness. "How are you feeling?"

Tsuna shook his head. "I'm fine… But…"

Yamamoto glanced at Gokudera and, from the look the silver-haired teenager's face held, he didn't force Tsuna to continue talking.

Mukuro and Chrome disappeared further into the ambulance to ask the paramedics about Fran, leaving Yamamoto alone with Tsuna and Gokudera.

The silver-haired teenager stood up, gesturing for Yamamoto to follow him.

Once the two had found peace together a distance away from the congregation, Gokudera started speaking, his voice unusually strained.

"You're such a stupid idiot for going in like that, you know...?" Gokudera looked at the ground, biting his lip. "You could have died… Stupid…"

Yamamoto frowned, reaching out to wrap his arms around his friend in a soothing manner. "But I didn't. I'm fine. Tsuna's fine, too. Don't worry about it."

Gokudera shook his head. "Tenth's not fine…"

"What do you mean?" Yamamoto frowned.

"…He told me about it… What he saw…"

Yamamoto gulped, unsure if he wanted to hear the rest or not.

"…It…" Gokudera felt tears well up in his eyes, his compassion for his beloved Tsuna making him feel as if he had been there in the brunet's place. "…It must have been… horrible… They… They attacked them… Bel... Bel tried… he tried, but… Tsuna said… Tsuna said his blood was everywhere… Fran wouldn't stop crying, and… And they… they… God, it's so _sick…! _They _raped _Fran, Yamamoto…! And all Tsuna could do was watch…"

Yamamoto closed his eyes, not knowing who he felt more sorry for – Tsuna, for having witnessed such things, or Fran for having been forced into something so cruel.

"Tsuna said…" Gokudera stopped, wiping at his eyes. "…Tsuna said that when… When Squalo got there… The fighting was horrible… Tsuna took Fran and hid in the closet, but… Apparently Squalo was outnumbered… He got cut down and the others took Bel… After that, you got there…"

Yamamoto wrapped his arms tighter around Gokudera, trying to bring comfort to the other. He didn't initiate anything, knowing the older teenager was most likely in shock from having been told about what his best friend had experienced so, when hot lips pressed against his, he was rather surprised.

Pulling away, Yamamoto whispered, "Gokudera…?"

"Please… Just kiss me…" the smaller boy whispered back, his green eyes full of pleading. "…I… Today was going so well… And now…"

"It's okay…" Yamamoto ran a hand through silver hair, smiling gently at Gokudera. "It's going to be okay, I'm sure of it."

Gokudera pressed himself back against the younger male, shivering as strong arms wrapped around him.

Enfolding his own arms around his friend, Gokudera whispered, "…I think… I love you… Takeshi…"

Yamamoto, who didn't need to think about his own feelings, said, "I _know _I love you, Hayato. Let's get back to Tsuna, okay?"

Gokudera nodded, slipping his hand into Yamamoto's larger one, not caring for what anyone thought about it – today was pressing on _all _of them; it was only natural he wanted comfort.

**You'll find out next chapter what happened to Bel, as well as what's going on with the other characters. I just didn't want to squish it all into one chapter.**


	11. Chapter 11

Several weeks had passed by since the attack on Bel's family had occurred. Though it had been stressful for all involved, there had been no fatalities and that was the most important thing – even if Bel and the others didn't have a home anymore, leaving them to take refuge at a hotel for the time being.

Yamamoto and his friends were gathered at Mukuro's home as today was a special day; Yamamoto and Gokudera had officially started dating as of that morning.

It had been shortly after the attack when Gokudera had discovered he really _did _love Yamamoto, and the dark-haired teenager had only been too happy to accept his offer of a trial date.

From then on, they had made the conscious decision to start dating properly and see where things went from there.

"I'm happy for you both," Mukuro said sincerely, sitting on the couch with Fran on his lap. "I hope things go well."

"Ushishishi~" Bel laughed as he leant against his crutch, his leg in a cast as was his left arm, a reminder of the fight he had been in as he desperately attempted to save Fran during the attack. "If it doesn't work out, the prince will have Gokudera~"

"Oi!" Gokudera got to his feet from where he had been sitting on the ground with Yamamoto, his green eyes narrowed at the older teenager. "Say that again and I'll hide your crutches on you!"

Yamamoto laughed cheerfully as he pulled his boyfriend back down into his lap, his eyes sparkling with joy. "Sorry, Bel, but I don't think that's going to happen. Maybe you can have Fran when he's older."

Fran glanced around as he heard his name, having been resting his face in against Mukuro's chest. He blinked at the group of teens gathered in the living room, still a little drowsy and confused from the medication he now had to take after the attack.

Bel wrinkled his nose up at the suggestion and, when he spoke, there was a soft, barely audible tone of sadness in his voice. "Froggy doesn't need someone like me – I couldn't protect him."

"You tried." Tsuna smiled softly at his friend's words, gesturing to the blond's body that had been found broken by the fire fighters. "And it's not like he remembers what happened anyway. He's blocked it all out."

"Still…" Bel sighed before he turned to stare out of the window at the ruins of what had previously been his home.

Everyone could tell the conversation was going to a dangerous zone, so Tsuna was quick to change the subject. "Ah… G-gokudera-kun, have you guys kissed already?"

Gokudera felt a blush coat his cheeks as he nodded, looking down at his lap. He was surprised the meek brunet had dared ask such a thing. "T-tenth…"

Yamamoto wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, snuggling his face in against silver hair. His smile was bigger than ever, just so happy Gokudera was here with him. "Yes, Tsuna, and there will be lots more to come, too!"

"You're too kind," Gokudera deadpanned, embarrassed by the younger's words – was it really necessary to discuss their private life together?

Before anything else could be said, the silver-haired teenager yelped as a crutch came out of nowhere and hit him in the face before a head of blond hair head-butted Yamamoto as its owner fell to the ground.

"What the – Bel!" Gokudera shouted, trying to push the older male away from his boyfriend – Yamamoto was _his, _damnit, and he wasn't going to share with _this _freak. "Get the fuck off!"

"A-ah, Gokudera-san, h-he…" Chrome left her spot by Mukuro's side, moving instead to Bel so that she could help the older teenager back to his feet. "H-he just s-slipped, that's a-all…"

"Gokudera-kun, she's right," Tsuna pointed out, having seen how it had happened. He winced inwardly as he noticed the pain on the blond's face and reached out for the phone he had dropped that was the cause of this. "He was just trying to check his phone, Gokudera-kun; don't be so hard on him."

Gokudera just grunted, wrapping his arms around Yamamoto's stronger one, holding the younger male close.

Bel, who was biting his lip to stifle cries of pain, shook his head when the phone was offered to him. He leant against Chrome heavily, panting, feeling as if his body had just been crushed.

Tsuna read the message that was still flashing on the blond' phone aloud, trying to be helpful. "Squalo says that he's waiting out front for you, Bel."

"Oh, we'll help you, Bel." Yamamoto smiled as he stood up, pulling Gokudera to his feet. He wrapped an arm around Bel's middle, holding him close as Gokudera fumed in jealously.

The silver-haired teenager, in what could only be described as envy-fuelled rage, started shoving Bel along as if to rush him from their presence sooner.

Tsuna watched as the three disappeared around the corner before he turned back to Chrome and Mukuro, his eyes shining bright. "Looks like everything worked out for them, huh?"

Mukuro nodded, kneading his long fingers through teal hair. "They look good together."

"I don't think they'll break up, either," Tsuna agreed. "Gokudera-kun's so much happier now, and Yamamoto is patient enough to deal with him. Thanks for helping Yamamoto out, by the way."

"Kufufu… It was no problem, Tsunayoshi."

Looking out of the window, Tsuna watched as Yamamoto and Squalo carefully helped Bel get into the car, mindful of his injuries, while Gokudera just glared at the blond as if he were afraid of Bel stealing Yamamoto away from him.

It was quite endearing to finally see Gokudera beginning to open up and trust other people – and the teenager's friends could only hope it meant he would be happier in future. With Yamamoto by his side, they were certain of it.


End file.
